RSV | KNKX Public Radio

A patient is given a flu vaccine Friday in their arm.

Hospital visits for respiratory viruses on the rise in King County

Freddy Monares

Public health officials in King County say increased cases of RSV, COVID and the flu combined with low vaccine numbers could cause challenges for local hospitals.

A man in a suit and tie smiles for a portrait standing in front of a colorful, abstract painting.

Public Health

New King County Health Director settles in as pandemic lingers

Emil Moffatt

Dr. Faisal Khan's first winter as public health director for Seattle and King County includes navigating a "tripledemic" of respiratory viruses that have overloaded hospitals. Despite facing funding challenges and a rebound of diseases spread through sex, Khan says he's joined an "exemplary" department.

FILE - A sign stands outside Seattle Children's Hospital on March 18, 2020, in Seattle. Children's hospitals in parts of the country are seeing a distressing surge in RSV, a common respiratory illness that can cause severe breathing problems for babies. Cases fell dramatically two years ago as the pandemic shut down schools, day cares and businesses. Then, with restrictions easing, the summer of 2021 brought an alarming increase in what is normally a wintertime virus.

Public Health

Pediatric respiratory cases, flu strain Pacific NW hospitals

The Associated Press

Children’s hospitals in the Pacific Northwest are struggling to maintain enough space for their young patients. Some report being over capacity, amid increasing strain due to a surge in respiratory illness and hospitalizations.